“In the Meantime,” I’ll be listening to Alessia Cara’s new album
Written by Kalijah Rahming
After releasing her sophomore album, “The Pains of Growing,” Alessia Cara waited three years before deciding it was time to grace us all with her angelic voice again. “In the Meantime,” her highly anticipated third album, was released on Sep. 24, 2021.
Creating music is nothing new for the 25-year-old songstress who has been uploading song covers to YouTube since 2011. Rewatching them 10 years later only makes it clearer that Alessia was born to be a star. Even at that young age, her mesmerizing voice drew you into whatever story she chose to tell.
Her undeniable talent even caught the eye of Def Jam Recordings who signed her to their label in 2014. However, it was Alessia’s first single, “Here,” that truly caught the eye of the public. In this song, she perfectly encapsulated a universal introvert experience: feeling uncomfortable and out of place at a party.
Alessia has found a lot of success within her seven years as a musician — she joined world-renowned artists Coldplay and Shawn Mendes on their respective tours, her cover of “How Far I’ll Go” was featured on the “Moana” soundtrack and she even won a Grammy for Best New Artist at the 2018 Grammy Awards.
However, despite all of her success, Alessia remains incredibly humble and down-to-earth. She writes all of her songs herself, which adds to their authentic and youthful quality.
Alessia Cara handles her emotions in a remarkably Gen Z way: finding hope and humor within the intense pains that come from becoming an adult within modern-day society.
“In the Meantime” is no exception to this rule as Alessia uses it as a healing technique to work out her own feelings about love, mental health and growing into her truest self. We can actually thank COVID-19 for this wonderful album as it was created during periods where the artist felt the most alone.
Throughout these 18 soulful songs, we are taken on a journey through her mind, analyzing the bits and pieces of information that she chooses to provide to us. Her lyrics remain just as refreshingly honest as they were at the very beginning of her career, providing us with tongue-in-cheek gems like “But I deserve an award for gettin’ over you, call the Academy.”
As someone who has been listening to Alessia before her first EP was released, it is truly such a delight to watch her step further into her own sound. She has always blended R&B and pop together within her songs, but somehow it feels like a new creation within this album. Songs like “Shapeshifter,” which showcases her sultry voice within the dreamy jazzy melody, show how deeply Amy Winehouse inspires her music. Alessia, who even covered “Valerie” in 2014, had the privilege of working on this song in the same studio that Amy once worked in.
“In the Meantime” is the perfect album for anyone who feels as though they are entering a phase of transition within their lives. If you’re not quite sure of where you’re headed or how you’ll get there, Alessia is there to hold your hand and support you.
